Beyond the Shattered Glass
by Raining Dreams
Summary: This is the third installment in the popular (Ha. My head is so swollen) Last Shot at Love series. It's been nearly 4 years since Rachel left with her mother. Will Rachel and Jimmy be reunited? Nothing is as it seems... -Finished-
1. File 1

**Beyond the Shattered Glass**

_By Raining Dreams_

**She's speaking: **Yep. Numbah three. I'm so proud of myself. This is going to be very angsty in some parts, and very happy in others. Get used to it. Blame it on me listening to far too much Aqua mixed with AFI.

**Note:** This is set in 2007, but I will be using modern songs and such for the sheer sake of I don't know what the HELL 2007 will be like XD Another thing: I'm not sure if all my names are correct in this, as I haven't gotten to watch much of the show lately. I'm still not using the proper names. Stupid adult swim dubbing has me all confuzzled. I also know all my information concerning the Olympics isn't accurate. Humor me here, folks.

**Disclaimer: **I don't have enough money for a comic book. You think I OWN Detective Conan? Pfft. Moron.

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 1**

Jimmy Kudo sat at Professor Agasa's kitchen table, head in his hands, coffee steaming his face gently. It was obvious he was having a particularly stressed day. Nothing had triggered it. He was just...stressed. Agasa walked timidly in, staring at the young man for a moment.

It had been nearly four years since he had last had any communication with Rachel. Her mother had received full custody of her when her father was discovered driving under the influence with both her and Conan in the car and they'd been involved in a wreck. She'd been nearly nineteen when they left for America to start a new life for themselves. Rachel had been so reluctant to leave her precious Conan, but she'd been forced to. She'd been upset about leaving Jimmy, as well.

How could she have known, though, that the person she'd been wanted to see so badly before she left had been there all along. Ai had since found a cure to her drug, and so here he was. A miserable twenty-three year old sitting at a family friend's table, thinking about how much he hated his life over re-heated, cheap coffee. The professor stood for a moment, before clearing his throat to bring the boy from thought.

"Jimmy. An old friend got me tickets to America. Would you be interested...? You need a vacation." he shrugged.

"Whatever, doc."

"Excellent. Go pack. We leave tonight."

The plane flights were long, and the switches were tedious. Jimmy stared nonchalantly out the window, watching as they soared over seas of fluffy plums, blues, and golds. Almost the whole flight was like this, due to the time difference. Several flight attendants flirted profoundly with the boy, but he ignored them. After all, one of the key elements in his depression was Rachel being absent from his life.

He'd been told loads of times that he needed to give up and move on, but he just couldn't do that. He couldn't. And secretly, while he wished Rachel was happy, he wanted her to miss him terribly as well. He almost hoped she was miserable without him. But then he'd think about what he was saying and felt worse for wishing something so awful on her. He got the nagging feeling he was being driven insane by this. They arrived in somewhere called Charlotte, West Virginia, and stayed the night, before reaching their final destination of Denver, Colorado the next day.

They were staying in a mediocre hotel. Not bad, but not great. It had a pair of twin beds, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a tv. Nothing extravagant. Jimmy sighed, plopping down onto his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

**Across town...**

"Rachel!! Come _on_!" Eri Moore called upstairs. "You know they don't keep the gym closed for you for long!"

"I'm coming mom! Honestly!!" Came the voice from a rather pretty twenty-two year old. The figure of Rachel Moore bounded down the stairs, dark brown locks tied messily from her face in a loose ponytail. She still acted like she was fourteen. Eri smiled softly at her rambunctious daughter.

"Let's go." she said, jingling keys around one finger. They left the house, Rachel fiddling with her karate uniform sleeves idly in the backseat. She had the rights to act childish, though. After all: She was the main interest of the US Olympic Karate team at the moment. The press was having a FIELD DAY with the young champion. This in turn meant a steady flow of royalties and interview fees for Rachel and her mother. Neither could have been more pleased over this, either. Rachel got spending money and Eri didn't have to work as much.

"Don't forget to go to sleep EARLY tonight, Rachel." Eri chided. "You have the public training session in the morning, remember?" she parked in front of an empty gym.

"I know, mom. I know." Rachel yawned, jumping out and jogging to the building, walking onto the mat the staff had laid out for her, instantly flipping to attack the dummy that was set up. She was showing off a bit in doing it, yes, but watching the weekly secretary gape at her NEVER got old. She smirked, bringing it to the ground. She continued her workout, finishing cleanly, face flushed, smiling. She loved her life. She got paid and received star status from doing the thing she loved. But there was one vital thing missing...

She clambored back into the reinforced, tinted SUV's backseat, staring outside longingly. She watched every boy pass, hoping that MAYBE, just maybe, she'd see the one face she wanted to see...

**At the hotel...**

Jimmy awoke blearily, finally decided to go for a walk when he discovered he could no longer sleep. "Stupid insomnia..." he murmured, pulling a clean shirt of over his head and giving his hair a quick comb, attempting to have it sit flat but failing miserably. Maybe he'd run into Rachel... it was so unlikely, but maybe....just maybe. He could hope.

He slid one card key off of the night stand, scribbling down a note to Professor Agasa, wandering out. Several more girls gawked and giggled as he passed despite his ragamuffin look. He pushed out the doors, digging his hands into his pocket, the late summer air contrasting drastically with the chilly hotel's air. He paused to give a shudder to adjust himself, before joining the bustle down the sidewalk. He stopped at a corner, waiting for the walk light to turn. He looked around idly, looking for her just in case. That's when something caught his eye. He wasn't sure why it did, but as a silver SUV with tinted windows passed, he couldn't help but crane his head to stare for a moment, before returning his attention the the changing light and starting off.

**In the car...**

Rachel stopped dead, craning her head around in attempts to get a better look at a boy she'd seen on the corner. She felt her cheeks flush, her heart missing a beat or two. A soft, hopeful smile curled over her lips, childlike wonder spreading over her features. _Jimmy!!!_ She glanced around furiously, unclicking her seatbelt so she could look out the back. Eri glanced back and sighed. "Rachel, sit down and put your seatbelt back on. If I've told you once, I've told you a million times. He's not here. He's never going to be here."

Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it. Mom was being nice in letting her live with her and being her personal chauffeur and agent, after all. She sunk off her knees, pulling her seatbelt on, looking back one last time before giving up and returning to staring out the window, mouthing along to the easy listening (It was Break Away by Kelly Clarkson at the moment.) her mother insisted on playing. Something about it being calming and better than all this new techno-rap stuff the youth was currently listening to...

**At the hotel...**

Jimmy sighed, coming back and sleeping on and off for several hours. He was having the most bizarre dreams... In one, Rachel had married that Dr. Araide character, and they'd made him their best man for the renewing of their vows. Needless to say, THAT was a bad dream. In another, he was being chased by giant muffins Professor Agasa had made... Well, you get the picture. One nightmare after another. He finally gave up, getting up and flipping the television on at roughly 7:30 the next morning. He went into the connecting hallway, using the mini coffee-maker to get himself a cup of coffee, walking back into the "living room" so he wouldn't wake the Professor, whom was snoring loudly in the next room. He flipped the channels until one thing made him stop. He had been reclining, but when he saw what he saw, he bolted up, spitting out the mouthful of the caffeine-filled drink he'd collected after various sips...

**Yay...: **Well.... it's FAIRLY long o.o; Yeah. This is going to be really fun to write... I'm excited. I'm finally halfway adjusting to Highschool. I still hate it with a fiery passion, but I've figured out how to juggle it so I can deposit and pick up text books easily, and I get most of my homework done during the school day. It's getting better, I guess. I still hate 99.5 percent of the student body, and only really ENJOY one teacher. I'll survive, though. I think. I hope. I just talk to my bestest friends every afternoon and am going to try to see them every weekend.


	2. File 2

**Beyond the Shattered Glass**

_By Raining Dreams ("Bunny")_

**She still despises highschool:** Wheeeee... Our AC is broke, so it's like, 85 degrees in this house. It's. HOT. I feel really bad for my rats. Anywho... I still hate highschool. It STILL sucks. And....erm... yesh. Whatever. I don't have much else to say... I'd like to take this moment, however, to state that I KNOW KARATE ISN'T AN OLYMPIC SPORT!!! -pants and points at the previous note on chapter one- Feh! Dun you all read!! I'm not going to respond to my reviewers this chapter. Too hot. Too lazy.

**Disclaimer: **... If you own Detective Conan, I'll trade you some frozen carrots and Ruffles for it...

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 2**

"Rachel!!" he blurted as the girl nodded to the reporter, smiling warmly. There was no mistake, either. It said "Rachel Moore" across the bottom of the screen. Jimmy silently counted his blessings that he'd chosen to take all those years of English, watching her in awe, frozen solid.

"So Ms. Moore. Any _boyfriends_ we should know about?" The reporter asked with a sly smile. Rachel blushed, giggling lightly.

"Nope."

"Any CRUSHES?" The woman pried.

"One." Rachel said amidst her giggles. "But that's all you're getting out of me." The reporter chuckled.

"There you have it, folks. Our own little karate champ, Denver's sweetheart, Rachel Moore. You can all come on down to St. Jonah's park and watch this girl train! It promises to be quite a show, so come on down!" the woman said in a charming way. Rachel smiled, giving the camera a small nod, before reaching off screen for some coffee.

Jimmy's mouth dropped, his eyes HUGE. He gulped, placing his jaw back in place, before jumping up and running down the hall, skidding to a halt at the Professor's bed.

"AGASA!! UP!! RACHEL!! TV! PARK!!" was all the boy could bark out, but he was jumping up and down frantically and pointing to the other room. Jimmy DIDN'T do that... Not unless something was beyond important. Agasa, however, just snorted, blinking blearily at him.

"What're you talking about, Jimmy?" he inquired, pausing midsentance to yawn. Jimmy let out a soft sort of growl, yanking on the Professor's wrist.

"Rachel! She's here! She was on the news!! She's at the park!! We have to go! NOW!" He sat up, staring at the boy, stretching.

"You sure you weren't dreaming?"

"Positive!! If you don't wake up I'm going to steal your stupid car!" Jimmy snapped out. The Professor waved his hand.

"Whatever...Jimmy, you're probably seeing things... goodnight." he mumbled, rolling back over. The boy rolled his eyes, snatching the keys to the rental car up, getting dressed and dashing out upon receiving directions to the park. The street was lined with cars, a crowd in a circle around a raised platform.

He had to stop for a moment, staring at her in disbelief for a moment. It was Rachel, no doubt about it. He'd recognize her anywhere. He ran up, walking to a thin part, watching her for a while. Several large men, who he presumed were some of Rachel's bodyguards, were surrounding her and keeping the crowd hushed so their charge could concentrate as she attacked the dummy. His breathing was ragged, eyes wide. He shoved his hands into his pockets out of pure, nervous habit. She'd grown into a BEAUTIFUL woman.

Her dark hair was messy, but it didn't LOOK messy. It looked perfect, like she'd tried, but hadn't. Her complexion remained fair despite all of her time outside, and her features remained just as pretty and innocent as he remembered. Just older. More mature. Her rosy lips pursed in concentration, just as they always had... A commentary finally reached his ears. "Ms. Moore has been doing Karate since she was the ripe old age of seven..." _Eight._ Jimmy mentally corrected. _She first signed up when she was seven, but her mom left and she postponed until she was eight._ As the workout slowed, the crowd began to chatter softly, the bodyguards no longer bothering to shush them. _Well...here goes nothing..._ He thought to himself. He cupped his hands around his mouth, and with a deep breath, he called out to her.

"Hey!! RACHE!"

The girl stopped in mid kick, whirling around. Her trainer jumped up, scolding her. Rachel couldn't hear her, however. She was busy looking through the crowd. Not many people called her that. More importantly, not many BOYS. A smile spread over her features. By this time, her mother was standing, looking about too. Her eyes fell on him in an instant, and she couldn't help but let out a small shriek of joy. The crowd parted out of instinct, and she leaped over the rubber bands keeping her boxed in. "SORRY! TRAIN HARD TOMORROW!!" she called to her trainer, jumping Jimmy, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Jimmy! It's you!!" she paused, pulling away to make SURE it was him. "I can't believe--how??!" He just smiled, beyond words, and hugged her back. The crowd immediately began to chatter, cooing aws and asking "what?"s. The press instantly started to film and take pictures. Eri jumped in front of them. "Back off, or else you ALL loose your contracts!!" she snapped. They all did as they were told, content with what they'd gotten thus far.

She beamed, pulling back. "I don't care how you got here or why you are here. You're coming back to my house to visit. MOM! CANCEL ANY APPOINTMENTS I HAVE TODAY!" she called. "C'mon!" she grabbed his hand, starting to the parking lot. "We'll come back for your car later...it's so wonderful to see you!!" she acting downright ecstatic. She climbed into the backseat, ushering him in with her. Eri just stared, but decided not to say anything. What COULD she say? Rachel and Jimmy had maintained a friendship over all those years and seeing each other again like this again was some sort of strange miracle... She watched them via the rearview mirror before she started the car with a soft smile.

Jimmy felt like his heart was just going to EXPLODE from all this joy. He really felt like just kissing her there and then...but he ran the risk of really freaking her out in doing that.

"I missed you, Rache." Her eyes fell to the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Jimmy. I had to leave Conan and you... I had to leave you without so much as a goodbye. I'm so sorry..."

He smiled. "Don't be." They were silent, staring at each other for the rest of the short trip. The house was modest and clearly old. Old but strong and nice. Rachel beamed, looking around, turning a circle before pointing down the hall and jutting a thumb at a nearby door.

"Um...I'm going to go take a shower and stuff. You can go hang out in my room or in the den or...whatever. Just make yourself at home. Raid our fridge for all I care..." She smiled, trotting off. He blinked, deciding to wander back to her room like first suggested. It was painted a pale yellow with oak furniture. It had that girly smell mingling with...Rachel. That was honestly the only description for THAT smell. Like flowers, vanilla, and something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Spicy...cinnamon, maybe? She did chew a lot of cinnamon gum. He didn't really care. It was Rachel, simple as that. He paused to take a moment to take that in, before looking around. Meaningless trinkets adorned her shelves and such, but one thing caught his eye... He hurried to her night stand, pulling the object of interest into his hand. It was a simple photo frame made of plastic, but it was what was inside. It was the picture taken so many years ago of the two atop the Empire State Building. _She kept it. She kept it where she'd always see it. Rachel never forgot about me..._ He sat it down, looking straight ahead at nothing in particular, before slumping onto her bed. _Rache..._ As if on cue, the girl entered, now dressed in something much more casual; some loose-fitting jeans and a t-shirt. She was STILL just BEAMING.

"Glad to see you're comfy... want something to drink, eat...?" she inquired. She stopped before walking up and hugging him again, burying her face into his shoulder. "Where'd you go, Jimmy? Where did you go?" she whispered to him, sounding moments away from tears. His eyes fell to the ground...

**GASP!!!: **Haha... I did it again. I gave you a ciffy on account of YEWWWW were all bad reviewers an' I didn't get reviews and stuff. 12 reviews. Pshaw. You're putting my other fics to shame, folks. At this rate I'll stop writin', and you DON'T want that. Not with this fic. It's gonna prove to be a kick butt plot, so review. Or else.


	3. File 3

**Beyond the Shattered Glass**

_Written by Raining Dreams ("Bunny")_

**Ugh:** Our AC is STILL busted. It's. Effing. HOT IN HERE! I can't wait until it's fixed, and I'm planning on spending most of my time bonding with my cd player downstairs. Where it's nice. And roughly 67 degrees. One teensy problem with that, though: Spiders. I don't like spiders. I REALLY don't like spiders. Um... I'm a very happy author this chapter, no matter how tiny it is o.O; So I respond to SOME reviews... Good reviewers -pats you all on the head- I have too many reviews to respond to all of them. GOOOOOODD.

**Nittle Grasper Fan Joshie:** -buhlink- erm... no? I dunno how to respond to threats well (clearly) Um. Keep reviewing an' I'll write and stuff. No violence needed.

**Lady Starlight2:** No, no, lovely. You're a good reviewer. Yewwww review every chapter that I put out .

**Itzjustme:** And how do you plan to do that, dearheart? Plus. I write for reviews. You can't make me write otherwise...well... maybe for some gummi worms but that's besides the point. Review. REVIEWWWWW!!!!

**A Person: **Chuckle...? Why'd I want to make you HAPPY? My source of power is making people miserable and such with cliffies!! MUAHAHAAA... oh crap -pages through her "Guide to Being an Evil Tyrant/Ruler of the World"- DRAT! Wasn't s'posed to tell you that !

**Jewel: **Yeah, I am a horrid little Bunny, aren't I? -beam-

Okay. There they are. 5 responses. It's not that I don't LOVEEEEE the rest of you. It's just I'm to lazy to respond. The people I didn't respond to get cookies. 'nuff said.

_**WARNING: **This chapter will be realllll angsty and tear-inducing. Grab the tissues._

**Disclaimer: **It's too hot to be witty. I dun own Detective Conan. Go away.

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 3**

He sighed softly, pulling the girl into his arms gently. _It's time. It was time a long time ago..._ "Rachel...Rachel..." he breathed, trying to find where to start. He was the smartest person he knew, and yet at the moment, he was at a complete loss. What was Rachel going to do? Would she be relieved? Would she cry? Would she get mad? He didn't know. And that frightened him more than anything at the moment. Losing Rachel over this. But she had to know. She needed to know... She looked up at him, loosening her grip so he was left holding her there. She made a soft hum, silently beckoning him on.

"Rachel. This will be hard to believe. You have to though, because I'd never lie to you. You know that, right? I never want to hurt you." she nodded against his chest. She could hear his heart beating and somehow felt oddly soothed.

"I know." she whispered. She didn't know why she was whispering, it just seemed appropriate.

"The night we went to the park. The night I left... I was tailing some shady characters, they noticed, and slipped me poison intended to kill me. Instead, it turned me into a child. A seven-year-old, to be exact." He paused, taking a steading breath. Rachel was trying to take this in. A child?? What was he saying?! "I ran to Agasa, who decided it best I stay with someone I knew. Someone I was close to. We came up with you, Rachel. So, I adopted the name Conan Edogawa, and began to live with you and your father." Rachel's eyes went wide as it all sunk in and clicked. She jumped from his arms, taking several steps back, staring at him as if she'd never seen him. Her breathing was rapid and uneven as everything whirled through his head. Jimmy winced slightly, before continuing.

"I enlisted the help of Agasa and Ai. Ai had been a member of the group that drugged me and worked hard on an antidote. Clearly, she came up with one. That's about it in a nutshell, Rache. Conan Edogawa and I are the same person."

"Bu...but... you.. called and..."

"All illusions. I had a bow tie that changed my voice."

"That night-- you were there! I saw you!" ((A/N: They have a scene in the 3rd movie where Kaito KID poses as Jimmy WHILE Conan is in the room to help him hide his identity))

"Kaito KID."

He stood up to catch her on account of she looked dangerously like she was about to fall. Instead, she glared at him, eyes rimming with tears. "Why didn't you tell me?" she said quietly, before looking him in the face, those tears falling freely. "Why didn't you tell me?!" she screamed, punching him several times in the chest. Jimmy stood there, scrunching his eyes closed. It was better to let her do it. She was like quicksand. The harder you struggled, the worse she was. She slowly stopped, sinking to her knees, sobbing rather violently. Jimmy paused to catch his breath and assess the situation, before kneeling and reaching out to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry Rachel..." he began, reaching out for her. She slapped his hand away, giving him a look she'd never given him before. One of pure hurt and hate.

"Go away!" she yelled between sobs. "Get out of my house, whoever you are!!" At this point, Eri Moore had came to see what all the fuss was over. She too, was glaring at the boy. He stood and quickly left...he'd get a cab or something to the park. He walked out, staring at the ground but only seeing that look she'd given him. That look... He'd never seen her like that before...ever!!! He felt horrible, too. He'd managed to regain AND lose the girl of his dreams in one day. That really figured... He dug his hands into his pockets, heaving a sigh. He felt about like crying, but he just couldn't...

Meanwhile, Rachel was sobbing to her mother. "Why'd you get so mad, sweetie? You seemed so happy to see him!" Eri said softly, cradling her crying child.

"That -sob- wasn't -wail- JIMMY!" she choked out, hugging her parent tight.

"There there, baby. It's alright. Everything will be alright..." she rocked her gently back and forth.

**Two days later...**

Jimmy had moped about for the past few days. He wouldn't eat, he didn't sleep, and he refused to watch the TV. He sat in a chair and stared out the window. Just...stared. Like he was waiting on the apocalypse or something. Quite frankly, Agasa was mildly disturbed by this. But then again, what was he SUPPOSED to do? Rachel had, after they'd unofficially been lovers, "dumped him". And from what he'd heard, she wasn't happy with him at the moment, not at all.

The Professor was also quite concerned about the media coverage of their reuniting. They'd found his name long since, and it was plastered all over the news and tabloids; Headlines like "Karate-chop Moore in Love?" and "Mystery Man Sparks Interest of Public". If the Black Organization got wind of him being alive still, as they hadn't yet been vanquished, they'd have a situation on their hands. And to be perfectly honest, Agasa didn't want to die anytime soon. Not to mention it had to be making the fragile situation between Rachel and Jimmy all the worse.

A knock came at the door, and the elderly man grinned. "About time room service got here. I got you some tea and a sandwich, Jimmy!" he called over his shoulder, rubbing his hands together greedily before opening their door in a single swift movement. He gasped, backing away quickly.

"What the--?!" he hissed in such a manor that Jimmy got off of his perch to see what was the matter...

**HAHA!: **I'm evil, ain't I? Short AND a cliffy!! Muaha!! I'm a terrible person, aren't I? Well, I was pleased with the response of reviews I got for that last chapter, so I'll write for now. Just keep that up, and I'll keep writing. Bribery always works. Yeah. This chapter was short BECAUSE in the next chapter a BIG ol' twist will be reviled. Partially. I'm all about cliffhangers in this fic, in case you guys haven't noticed... Anyways, I promise to update soon with the next chapter, so don't worry your little heads off about it, mmk?


	4. File 4

**Beyond The Shattered Glass**

_Written by Raining Dreams ("Bunny")_

**Yep. Still hot:** Yeah, it's still hot in here. I have coffee though, so I'm happy. I'm realllll mad at my best friend for getting me to like it so well. I had planned on going through life despising coffee and drinking only tea... but if you add lots of creme and sugar ..; yum. Wakes me up, too. Yay for coffee.

**Disclaimer: **Man, I don't own Detective Conan OR Folgers!! This _sucks_!!

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File Four**

Jimmy gaped at who he saw standing there. "Rache!!" he stuttered. Sure enough, she was standing there, her hair up in a loose bun, a trench coat on (it had been raining on and off all day), an umbrella in her gloved hands. Professor Agasa just backed away slowly into the other room while Jimmy advanced on her. "What's wrong? Is everything al-" he was cut off by Rachel holding her hand up.

"I'm fine Jimmy. As fine as I can be at the moment. Go get a coat. We're going for a walk." she said it all in such a manor that he couldn't say no to her. He walked into the other room, retrieving a windbreaker, and walking out with her with a soft sort of wave to the professor.

They were silent for a long time. It was roughly 3 in the afternoon, and everyone was already at work on this Monday, leaving it fairly deserted. They just walked for a while, side by side, silent.

It was that loud silence that frightened Jimmy. It was the same silence he'd heard that horrible night, and he figured it couldn't mean anything good. Then he heard what was, in his opinion, the worst noise in the world. A soft sob emitted from the girl to his right. She was crying... He blinked, "Rachel...please don't." he pleaded quietly.

"Why, Jimmy? Why didn't you tell me? Why couldn't I have known?"

"Because," he said softly. "I didn't want you hurt. The time you were kidnaped. It was because of me. I couldn't let you know."

She stopped, turning to face him, tears making her eyes shine with an odd brilliance, a splash of red over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose making her look pretty in a wilted flower sort of way. "Jimmy..." she whispered quietly, staring into his eyes with an undescribable look. One of hurt and something Jimmy couldn't put his finger on. Understanding, maybe? Love...? He inched closer to her, wanting to embrace her; to kiss her. God he wanted to kiss her right then.

But, in a cruel twist of fates, that kiss wasn't to happen. Not today, at any rate. The two had neglected to notice how close to an ally they were and a man emerged from the shadows, pressing a knife to Jimmy's throat and slowly pulling him back. Rachel instantly recognized him as one of the thugs that had taken her nearly 5 years previous. She let out a short gasp, before putting on her game face.

"You...evil! Let him GO!" she shrieked, lunging at him. Thug number two, however, came out and began to clobber her. Emotions and fighting didn't suit Rachel, and needless to say, this guy was LOTS bigger than her. She lay crumpled on the ground, clinging to consciousness as she watched them drag her childhood friend off. "Jimmy..." she whispered desperately as they shoved him in one of two waiting cars. The man she could recognize from her kidnaping was there as well, but there was a new face. A woman with light brown hair, almost blonde, was there, watching it all.

The apparent organizer pointed at Rachel. "Finish her, Sherry. Dispose of the body, retrieve the weapon, and get back to the base."

She nodded. "Gotcha, Whiskey." she said coldly, walking over to Rachel and pulling something out of her pocket. A pill. She waited for the car to pass, before saying in a soft sort of way. "Take this."

Rachel pressed her mouth firmly together, shaking her head desperately. Sherry rolled her eyes, pinching Rachel's nose until her mouth opened, shoving the capsule in, and covering her mouth until she swallowed it. Rachel suddenly felt severe pain shoot through her body, and she drifted off... _No...Jimmy... no..._ were her closing thoughts.

It took several hours for her to re-awaken and for her vision to de-blur. Rachel discovered herself lying on a couch, a sheet placed neatly over her. She sat up slowly, raising a hand to her forehead. "Ugh. My _head_..." she murmured, before opening her eyes and taking notice of the fact her hand was TINY. "What the--?!" she sat up, swiveling to get off the couch, but mis-judging the distance and falling. "Who--what?!" _Who in their right MIND would keep a couch that big?!_ Thought the bewildered girl, standing up to look around. Everything was so BIG! She felt like Alice in Wonderland... she looked down, noticing that she was no longer in her trench coat, t-shirt, and jeans. No. Now she was in what looked distinctly like a Catholic school-girl uniform. "What the HELL?!" she yelped. The woman from earlier came in, leaning in the doorway.

"Awake, are we?" she inquired. Rachel pointed a trembling finger.

"Who are you?! What kind of sick place is this!!!" she paused. "And how the HELL did you get that tall?!" The woman rolled her eyes.

"You should refrain from saying 'hell'. And calm down. What ever happened to saying 'Hello Ai!!'?" Rachel batted her eyes, coughing lightly in surprise.

"Ai?!"

"Yes, although I'd really appreciate it if you called me Sherry." Rachel nodded dumbly.

"What's...what's going on?!"

"Let's let the mirror do the talking, shall we?" Sherry pulled out a long mirror she'd placed against the wall earlier. Rachel backed away, eyes wide.

"I'm...I'm three feet tall!!!" she whimpered, taking notice of the fact her voice was high now.

"Three and three quarters, actually. You're eight-years-old, Rachel."

"**_Eight?!_**" she whispered, going pale.

"Calm down." Sherry said sternly. "Come get some tea and I'll explain." she prepared tea, sitting both of them down. "Now. As Jimmy has undoubtably told you, He and I were transformed into children as the result of my making a rather bad poison. I've amplified that, and given it to you. With the original, you'd be thirteen and useless. Before you say anything, though, allow me to state my reasons. Jimmy Kudo has been taken by and they are merely awaiting for our leaders to get here to kill him. That's why we need to rescue him. That's where you come in. Rachel, you must act mean to Jimmy. Mean as you can muster. Make him CRY, if you can. It's the only way you'll be able to save him. Get them to trust you enough to leave you alone with him. You have to figure the plan from there. You will notice a necklace around your neck." Rachel took this moment to tug at the choker which, via a chain, had a small, silver heart attached. "Inside that heart is a tablet. It will revert you to normal. Be careful when taking it, however." Rachel sipped her tea, trying to take all of this in. The fact that her feet were dangling from the chair wasn't helping.

"You'll be able to piece together why I need you as a child when we get there. For now, we need to lighten that hair."

For the next few hours, Rachel had her hair dyed considerably lighter, and had freckles stained onto her cheeks and nose. Her hair was tied into a pair of pigtails secured with ribbons, and they just generally worked until Rachel had a hard time recognizing herself. They couldn't have Jimmy figuring her out, after all.

They got into a car and made their way to a house; apparently another 'base' (Sherry had explained that they had various bases scattered all over) and walked in. The men from earlier looked from Sherry down to Rachel. The one they called 'Whiskey' got up to inspect Rachel.

"A little _girl_, Sherry? This is the most satanic little brat you could find? Pfft. Some weapon."

"Don't call me little." Rachel hissed. "I killed both my goodie-goodie parents. I'll kill YOU in a heartbeat if you don't stop." Sherry raised a brow, smirking. Whiskey did a circle around the child, before nodding.

"Stats, Sherry."

"Little Megan here is eight and a half, has killed her parents and uncle, and has sent various other adults to the hospital. Smart as a whip, too. Go ahead, ask her anything your average highschool grad would know." Whiskey looked to her, before stooping to "Megan's" level.

"Alrighty. What is _a_ plus 456 if _a_ is valued at 230?" The child glared.

"Such a trivial, irrelevant question. But if you must know, the answer is six hundred eighty six." she said instantly. Whiskey raised a brow.

"Nice work, Sher. Vodka and Gin are sure to be pleased. Now it's time to test out how mean she is. Come along, sweetie."

"Don't call me sweetie." Megan snapped, glaring at him. He just smirked, leading her into another room Jimmy was huddled in the corner of a large dog-cage which was secured with two locks. One requiring a key and one needing a combination. The Rachel side of the child wanted to run up and comfort him, but she knew she couldn't. Finding her voice, she walked up.

"What sort of pathetic _THING_ is this, and when to I get to kill it?" she said coldly. Whisky smiled a satanic grin.

"Excellent work, Sherry. Excellent, excellent work." he said, walking over and placing a hand on Megan's shoulder, chuckling in a twisted way as a bleary Jimmy stared in horror.

**HEE!: **Ha! I TOLD you you'd be given a big plot twist!! Beautiful, isn't it? Angsty and EVERYTHING. I plan to have a "Megan" character sheet up soon, so yes. Bow down to my smartness. I don't know when the next chapter will be up. I plan to write MOST of it tonight, but I don't know when it'll be done. I'm guessing either late Monday or Tuesday afternoon. Review, people. I want to hit 60 before my next chapter. **REVIEW**.


	5. File 5

**Beyond The Shattered Glass**

_By Raining Dreams ("Bunny")_

**She has a new theme song!: **Ha... I have mehself a new theme song. Halloween by Aqua. I love Aqua soooo insanely much!! Hem, I'd also like to send a special shout out. WHO WROTE THE INUYASHA STORY WHERE KAGOME ALMOST DIED BUT CAME BACK AN' STUFF?!!! I started reading it after paying a visit to a reviewer's profile and now I can't seem to find it. It's driving me **_bonkers_**!! Please tell me who you are -puppy eyes- pwease? ALSO: WHEE!! -throws around confetti- as of reaching 60 reviews, I now have roughly 200 (give or take one or two I think...) reviews for this series!! I feel SO proud of myself right now!! I'm going to get 'choo lot a present for egging me on and being such lovely, supportive reviewers. Whether it comes in the form of a little side fic or a picture, I don't yet know. It all depends on school ;

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 5**

The Moore Detective Agency was quiet as a grave, as usual. People didn't like to call upon the still infamous Richard Moore. Ever since his daughter had left, he'd just sort of fallen apart before them. He still got called in occasionally, but that was very rare at this point. At the moment, he was sitting there, sipping on a non-alcoholic beer in the darkened den, staring at the wall. He'd given up alcohol after Rachel left. It just seemed proper.

He hadn't shaven in nearly a week, so his normally well maintained moustache was now unkempt. His carefully groomed hair was untamed and tangled, and he hadn't bothered to get out of his t-shirt and boxers, which he'd worn to bed. God he missed his little girl. His eyes fell on his favorite picture of her, which was placed on the nearest end table. She was still small, and she and that Kudo boy were sharing an ice cream. Eri had taken it when the girl was only seven. She just had the sweetest smile on her face, a dab of the chocolate treat spotting the side of her mouth. A soft smile curled at the sides of his mouth. She had always maintained her childlike innocence, no thanks to him.

He'd never really noticed how much he had loved her before. How vital a part her smiles and "I love you"s had really been in his day. Now that she was gone, though, he noticed it. He noticed it every second of every day. The phone rang, and he just stared at it for a moment. It was the most irritating phone in creation. One who's ring nagged the nearest person into answering it. He'd learned to tolerate it, as he hated answering the phone now, but something in the base of his skull said to answer. He paused, before picking up the receiver, holding it to his ear. "Hello? Moore Detective Agency...?"

"Richard." the voice on the other end began. The man jumped up, eyes wide.

"Eri! To what do I owe the honor?" He inquired somewhat sarcastically. That was when he noticed the voice of his wife ((A/N: Yes. They're still married. Separated, but married.)) was shaking. She was crying. "Eri...what's wrong?!"

"Richard!" she sobbed. "Rachel is missing. She's just disappeared without a trace!"

"What?! Rachel--what?! Listen, Eri. Calm down... I'll be there as soon as possible, okay? There's a workers strike at the airport, but I promise, I'll be there soon. Just hold on!" he was near hysterics right along with his wife. Rachel? Gone? That couldn't be good. He took a shower, cleaning up before running off to the police department. He was sure his connections could get him there soon. _Hold tight Rachel. Daddy is coming to find you._

**Back at the base...**

Megan stared with a loathing at Jimmy from a chair across the room. A day had passed, and she had since gained the right to sit in the room with the prisoner, along with supervision of course. Jimmy looked very weak...they'd supplied him with only a couple glasses of water and a bit of stale bread. She felt horrible for him; he hadn't slept all the previous night. But for his own good, she had to be "Megan the Mean" as the thugs had dubbed her (she'd dubbed them Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum, although she hadn't confessed this aloud as of yet). She could already see her occasional cruel, sarcastic comments getting to him. She glanced at the old, dusty clock on the wall. Yep. About time for the next one already.

"Hey, stupid. Where's your GIRLFRIEND? I heard you couldn't save her. That you just let them _kill_ her. Maybe they'll let ME play with the corpse!" Her eyes shone black thanks to a pair of contacts Sherry had given her. Jimmy looked up at what was, in his opinion, the Devil reincarnated into a little girl. She was EVIL. He didn't even understand how any living thing could be that mean. They'd given her a wounded bird earlier and she'd picked out a gun and shot it like it was nothing. Rachel truly felt awful. She just had to keep going, no matter how much this was hurting her. Why had she gotten mad with him? Maybe he would get mad at her now...

"Sh...shut up." he whispered hoarsely at her, glaring with all he could muster. He was still in denial that Rachel was dead...surely she wasn't dead. Rachel couldn't die. She'd survived EVERYTHING up until now.

"What is it? Still have hopes she's alive, do we? Yes, I'll make sure to ask Whiskey for the body. I'll mutilate it right in front of you, like I did to my mommy in front of my daddy." Each word stung rather violently at Rachel's very soul. She didn't want to do this. Jimmy looked so miserable right now. But she HAD to. She swore she could see tears well up in Jimmy's eyes...

He lifted his head, clutching the bars to his cage tight as he gave her a full-fledged look of HATE. "SHUT UP!" he screamed. Internally, she was quite taken aback, but she just closed her eyes, keeping her legs crossed at the ankles, her hands folded nearly in her lap.

"Humph. A bit touchy, aren't we? You little weakling. I haven't even started torturing you yet. Wait until they leave you ALONE with me." she forced a soft smirk onto her lips. _Jimmy. Please hold on... it'll be over soon. I just need to win them over... _With that, she stood. "I have school today, moron, but it's Friday, so I'll be back for you real soon. Then you're ALL mine all weekend." she trotted off, and Jimmy just glared at her. He glanced at thug number one, who remained nameless, and noted he was asleep. He curled into a corner, giving the room one last look around, before breaking down entirely. That little brat had made him realize something. Rachel WAS dead. She was gone. That was it. And it was all his fault. She'd been thriving until he came along. She had had everything going for her; The Olympic team was interested, she had grown into a gorgeous woman, and she was quite possibly the happiest she'd ever been. Then, because he was selfish and wanted to see her, the Black Organization had found them and killed her. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks and he shook, suppressing sobs. He didn't want his captors to know they'd gotten to him this much already.

He finally stopped after a good half hour, crawling over to the locks. He could easily get that combonation lock off if he wanted to, but the key lock would be the hard bit as he had nothing to pick it with. He needed a plan. He came up with one almost instantly, but that certainly didn't mean he liked it...

**At the station... (Japan)**

Richard Moore bounded through the doors, slamming his hands down on the "help" counter, startling the secretary. "I need to speak with Meguire. Now." he hissed. The girl, who was now severely rattled, just nodded and paged him in after saying a soft "Yessir, Mr. Moore, sir!" He was promptly directed to the Inspector's office. He bridged his fingers, leaning back in his armchair, surveying Richard as he entered and took a seat.

"So, Moore. What's so urgent?"

"Inspector. It's Rachel. She's gone missing and Eri has requested I get there immediately to assist in finding her." he said swiftly. Not a moment to spare, after all. Every minute, quite literally, counted, in his eyes.

"Rachel? Missing? Holy crickets. That girl really needs to learn to USE that karate of hers."

"Inspector, I need a ride to America. Denver, Colorado, to be more exact. The fastest thing you have."

"I dunno, Moore. It might be hard. What with the strike and all. All important business has been moved to boat. I'll see what I can do. You're lucky; One of my associates has a private jet and he's going to Las Vegas in a few hours. I may be able to get you a ride there..." A phone call and a couple of car rides later, Moore was on a plane to Denver. He twiddled his thumbs nervously. Every hour that passed decreased Rachel's shot of coming out alive. He didn't know what he'd do if his little girl showed up dead. He gulped... he didn't like that thought at all. He just decided to think optimistically on this one. He'd gotten this lucky so far. Rachel was alive. He just had to convince himself of that.

**At a hotel room across town...(America)**

Megan dropped her book bag on the floor, entering and plopping down on the couch, turning on the television to the news, watching the reporter drawl on about her own search. She sighed softly, listening to the lies about "fresh leads and clues" the law enforcement team was putting out to keep the public calm. After all, it would sort of freak people out if they knew a skilled karate expert had just vanished. They were saying she'd possibly gone into hiding from a stalker. _Idiots..._ Shortly there after, Sherry walked it.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Don't call me 'kiddo', Sherry. I'm twenty-three, remember?" Sherry shrugged.

"Whatever. How's Jimmy? Whiskey had me tail some guy all night to make sure he didn't know anything about you or him."

"Cracking like a NUT. I feel rotten." Megan confided, standing up on the couch cushion, craning over the back to keep an eye on her 'partner', whom was making coffee. Sherry, set the mini pot on, allowing it to brew.

"You shouldn't, Rachel." she began, using her proper name. " It's for his own good. You have to make them believe you're this evil, satanic little girl so they'll leave you alone with him before Gin and Vodka get here."

"I still feel BAD. I mean, I'm scared to death he's going to just commit suicide or something before I can get him out of there. He's already looking pretty pitiful."

"Don't worry. He'll pull through. I know Jimmy almost as well as you do. He wont crack. Mark my words, he's thinking up a plan right now." This provided some comfort for the girl as she slid back down, returning her attention to the tv. Sherry was right. Jimmy would pull through...she hoped.

**Meh:** That was really...short. I just didn't want to give away to much in this chapter. I promise the next one will be longer. Promise. Anywho. All goes well at school. It's still icky, but yeah. Oh! And our AC has been fixed. I'm NOT hot out of my wits!! YAY. Yessum. So anyways. I wanna get up to 80 reviews before my next chapter is up. My goal is over 100 reviews on this one fic before it's over -nods- that MAY be raised upon being reached XD


	6. File 6

**Beyond the Shattered Glass**

_By Raining Dreams ("Bunny")_

**...Lesigh...:** I'm feeling especially depressed at the moment, which does not bode well when I'm writing. I'm attributing it to being separated from my best friend too much. Allison and I are like peanut butter and jelly; like macaroni and cheese. You don't separate us. You just DON'T. We've both resorted to crying again and all we can do is hug at Borders on Saturdays and cry to one another over the phone. Neither of us can draw, we're listless about school, and nothing seems...FUN anymore. It's just...yeah. I went to a Kerry thing last night. It was a blast... We did this one thing where we held candles and signs at the edge of the road right before ol' Dubbya's speech and saw how many people we could get to honk for us XD We DID get a few Hawaiian good luck signs, though. Oh well. Silly Republicans are so spiteful...

**Disclaimer:** Well... I don't own Detective Conan, or really anything else. Erm.... I own this Easy Mac I'm eating...does that count?

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 6**

Megan returned roughly 7 hours after she left for "school", dropping her bags on the doorstep and calling, "You're RULER is here!". Whiskey looked up from the paper he'd been skimming over, giving the child a sinister little grin.

"Welcome home, Meggy. What'd you learn in school today?" He had adopted the role of 'dad' for the little menace. He felt it might make her work better and bend to his will more easily. Kids were just like that. Megan raised a sarcastic brow, frowning and staring at him for a moment.

"Call me Meggy one more time, and you will find your lower jaw being ripped off by an eight-year-old and being thrown across the room." She didn't say it in a particularly threatening way; in fact, she didn't show much emotion at all. She just said it coldly. She slumped into the nearest chair, which was across the table from her elder, placing her elbows on the table, steepling her fingers in front of her face, glaring at a somewhat shaken Whiskey. You really couldn't ever be ready for something like that from an eight-year-old. "Now. I demand to be left ALONE in that room with the prisoner. I want to have my fun and I can't do it with those buffoons in there."

"Now, now, Megan, sweety." Whiskey began, matching the girl's glare and throwing it back. "Let's not be hasty. I don't know if I can trust you yet and--"

"Trust," she interjected. "Is not an issue, Whiskey. At least it wont be until you tell me no again. That little word is what has killed and injured numerous people. I'll tell on you in a heartbeat, and trust me: My teachers and classmates WILL notice I'm gone, so don't you dare try to pull anything." The man shifted his glance to the wall to their left, and you could just see the cogs turning. He mumbled something that looked distinctly like 'stupid tattletale', before turning back to her.

"Fine. But if he goes missing, it'll be your head." Megan smirked.

"Good. Oh. And ignore the screams."

"Just don't kill him. Not until Vodka and Gin show up." she paused.

"... I wanna codename."

"What?"

"You heard me. I want a codename, Whiskey." He paused, thinking.

"Daiquiri. You know, like a Strawberry Daiquiri." Megan smirked.

"Mmk. Good. Daiquiri. I like it." She raised, walking gracefully down the hall to where they were holding Jimmy. Whiskey shook his head, staring after her. What a little brat. Even he hadn't been that bad. The child leaned in the doorway, jutting a thumb at the hall.

"Hey. Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum. Move it or lose it. He's allllll mine." The two men exchanged glances. She sighed. "Don't make me tear off your scalps. Ask Whiskey if you don't believe me. Now. OUT." The two blinked dumbly before deciding it was best not to mess with the little firecracker. She'd already given one of them a large bruise on the knee for getting her the wrong flavor juice box the night before. They left, and Megan closed the door with a satisfied smirk behind herself with her back, pressing against it, giving the apparently weary and delirious Jimmy a rather evil look.

"You're all mine now, Kudo. Prepare for the worst few days of your pathetic life." He looked up, making himself look as pathetic as possible.

" Please...water....mercy..." he choked out, clawing gently at his bars. The Rachel part of the girl wanted to cry out and comfort him, but she knew quite well she couldn't. She HATED this body. So, she just folded her arms, getting a glass of water from the small dispenser they'd set up in there, walking over to him, and slowly pouring it out just out of his reach.

"Thirsty, lovely?" she inquired in a contented voice. He frowned.

"Please... Megan, isn't it? Listen, and I'll let you in on a secret." he said with a slightly perkier voice. She shifted her weight to one leg, folding her arms, raising a brow.

"Whatever it is, I already know it." she said matter-of-factly, but listened all the same.

"Those guys in there? They're cops. And they're keeping me here to keep YOU here so the FBI can get here." Internally, Rachel cracked up. _Ai was right! He was plotting! Jimmy, you clever devil! _

"Pfft. I don't believe you. You just want out. I'm too smart for you, Kudo." she snapped. He frowned. She was smarter than he had thought. Then something dawned upon him. At this close proximity, the resemblance she bore to a young Rachel was stunning. His eyes narrowed.

"...Rache...?" he inquired in an unsure way, tilting his head lightly to one side in curiosity. _Oh...CRAP. What do I do? He's figured me out! What do I do??!_ She decided to play it off.

"Moron. You're delusional. She's dead... I got to BURN the body. I wanted to do it here, but they said I would get blood all over and people would smell her charred flesh." Tears sprung to Jimmy's eyes, a lump placing itself firmly in his throat. The child observed this. "Aw. Poor pet misses his wittle girl..." she crooned in a sickly sweet way...

**At the airport...**

Eri looked around anxiously, a fist placed over her mouth in worry. Where was Richard?? She needed him. That's when she caught a glimpse of him walking quickly towards her, waving furiously. She stopped, tears streaming down her face.

"Ri...Richard!" she whimpered, running up and throwing her arms around him, sobbing rather violently. He dropped his bags and embraced her, burying his face into her well maintained, business-cut hair.

"Shh...Eri, don't worry. We're going to find Rachel...she's fine... I promise Eri... calm down." That's when it hit him. This was the first time they'd embraced in well over five years...at least! He held her close, the shoulder to his beaten suit jacket getting damp from her tears. A single tear slipped down his cheek and into his wife's hair. Rachel had always had a knack for bringing people together...

They shortly there after exited, off to join the other detectives working on the case. The best had all been called in to try to solve this mysterious case; They didn't have much to work with, though. They didn't know where she'd disappeared from, if she'd still been with Jimmy, where Jimmy WAS, and they hadn't found any bodies or any blood, for that matter. A blank slate. A clean case. And it was making it beyond difficult to find her.

**At the base...**

Jimmy didn't care. Tears streamed down his cheeks in small rivers. "Shut up, you little prat!" he cried, reaching out and grabbing violently for her. He wanted to strangle her; to kill this satanic little...THING... with his own hands. Megan backed away slowly, eyes slightly widened.

"Cool it, lover boy." she said quietly in a vain attempt to make him quit his small screams of anguish as he stopped his assault, falling fully on all fours, heaving with each powerful sob and cry. Rachel felt tears well up in the eyes of her 8-year-old body's eyes. _Jimmy...no... please don't cry... please._

"RACHEL!" he called desperately, as if calling to her would cause her to magically appear. So, here she was. She could tell him and make him feel infinitely better, but then she ran the risk of both of them dying. But with this...she wasn't sure how much longer it would take for both of them to snap...Decisions, decisions.

**Yay...: **Well, according to WebMD my best friend and I are showing minor symptoms of multiple personality disorder and separation anxiety... Yeah o.O; Anywho. We had a Kerry thing today. We stood out at an intersection and waved signs and junk. We got several "Republican Good-Luck signs". Heres the REAL kicker, though. After about an hour and a half of screaming and yelling like deranged political cheerleaders, we noticed that police were pulling into the gas-station across the street. We stared for a bit, before some people from there came over and informed us that we'd gotten over 30 complaints over our presence. That's over 15 complaints an hour XD I feel oddly proud. Stupid Republican Bush morons...


	7. File 7

**Beyond the Shattered Glass**

_By Raining Dreams ("Bunny")_

**Whee: **I get to go to my best friend's little brother's birthday party at Lazer Blaze today!! (It's a laser tag kinda thing. Very fun. They have a massive arcade and are next-door to a GREAT comic store) It's basically the same as having his sister there, though. I'm ALWAYS at their house; I honestly wont be surprised if her baby sister, Riley ( 7 months the 7th!) doesn't start calling me "Sissy" when she starts to talk XD I'm in a fair mood today; 3 day weekend, I get to see Elisha and Allison, my bestest friends in the whole big world (Well. They're only slightly above my best friends Rachel, Londyn, Max, and Brittany. But they still above the others XD) I'll shut up now and put some Abba on and write o.o;

**UPDATE:** Sorry this is taking so long!! I have to clean my room an' stuff. I'm on parole for the moment due to good behavior. It SHOULD be done soon (My mum is the BIGGEST neat freak ever. I have ADD. DO THE MATH.)

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 7**

She stood like that for several moments, trying to decide what to do. She didn't even have the key to his cage, nor the combination. She turned away from him, smothering the tears that had arisin in her eyes. Batting her eyes several times to relieve redness and taking deep breaths, she walked outside. "Whiskey! Gimmie the combination, key, and a gun..."

"What?" he looked up this time from the television, which was switched on sports. "What do you want that junk for, kid?" she folded her arms impatiently.

"I wish to torture him, and I can't do so unless I can open and close that infernal cage you have him in... if you have a couple rotten tomatoes or eggs handy, I could use those as well."

"I'm following you that far. What do you want the gun for?"

"I really don't appreciate all this interrogation, Whiskey. But if you must know, it's for protection. If he attacks me, I don't think I would stand a very good chance without a weapon." The man paused, deeply in thought for a moment.

"I'll give you the key for the moment, kid. Show me I can trust you, and you'll get the rest." she raised a brow, scowling.

"Take it or leave it. You tattle on us, we'll tattle on YOU. And Kudo will be our little witness." Megan frowned, snatching the key he was dangling before her. She carefully placed it in her sock, wandering into the kitchen to retrieve one of the chocolate muffins they kept. Several bottles caught her eyes and she couldn't help but smirk to herself. _Stupid drunks..._ she grabbed a piece of bread while she was there, walking back to the room, closing the door behind her. She glanced at the time.

One thug looked to the other, shaking his head. "I woul'ent wanna be in 'is shoes. 'At kid is scary." he commented, before returning his attention to the game on the tv.

Before she went back in, however, she switched into her "play clothes". A plaid skort with a bow on one side and a white shirt with a blood red heart on the chest. She sat down with a book and started to read, choosing to just ignore his whimpers, tuning them out. She had never seen Jimmy this weak. Never.

Two hours passed, and darkness fell outside. Jimmy watched the sun go down via the window in the room. Megan walked out briefly, before returning. She walked up to the cage, banging on the bars. He'd fallen asleep.

"Jimmy..." she hissed. "Jimmy! Get up!! We have a small time frame here! MOVE." she poked him anxiously in the head. "UP." He batted his eyes blearily, staring at her dumbly.

"Whatever happened to Kudo, brat?" he mumbled, rubbing his head, making a mental note to NEVER fall asleep against metal bars again.

"Jimmy! Shut up and figure out that combination lock... I could only slip them enough to keep them out for an hour or so! They would have tasted it otherwise!" He raised up, blinking.

"_What_??" Megan slapped her forehead, walking to the other lock, pulling out her key from her sock and undoing the first lock.

"Jimmy. It's RACHEL, you idiot. Now figure this thing out. We don't have long and I couldn't pry it from Whiskey before I had to knock him out. Gin and Vodka will be here in under two hours, and if you aren't OUT of here, you're dead." He crawled over, eyes wide but unquestioning. He started to pick the lock, before looking at her suspiciously.

"Wait. How do I know you're Rache?"

"I'll bash your head in with my foot if you don't move it."

"... yep. It's you." he confirmed, eyes wide. The boy pressed his ear intently to the lock, twisting until he heard that tiny click. 6...23...54... CLICK. The combination lock came off, the door to Jimmy's cage swinging open. Rachel rushed out, making sure her elders were asleep, before grabbing Jimmy and staring off out the door.

"Rachel...what's going on here?"

"I'll explain later, Jimmy. Right now you have to get to Heavenly Suites, number 345. Knock three times quickly, wait, then knock twice more. Ai will be there." she said quickly, rushing down the sidewalk, checking her watch every two minutes.

"Jimmy, see this ditch here?" she said finally. "Follow it. It will lead you to the hotel. Stay with Ai... tell her if I'm not there in 20 minutes to move to the next safe spot." he blinked, starting down.

"345, right? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to be your distraction." she muttered, starting off quickly. "Move it or lose it, Jimmy. They'll be here soon." He nodded reluctantly, before tearing off. Rachel would be alright...right? He stumbled, dazed, down the concrete ditch for quite a ways, thinking about all that had happened. Trying to, at any rate. It was rather difficult to think clearly when you hadn't slept more than an hour in four days and were running on empty food and water wise. He eventually reached the hotel, following directions and being ushered in by a concerned Ai, who immediately fed him and gave him a tall glass of water with a multivitamin...

Meanwhile, Rachel was running along down the sidewalk, panting. She had to make this look real if Jimmy had any hope of getting away. She sprinted until her lungs felt ready to pop, then ran some more. After a while, she slowed. In all truths, she was somewhat worried. Where were they...?

**Wow**: That. SUCKED ;; I was rushing 'cause I only have a couple hours to write, etc. Sorry. The next one WILL be better. And trust me, this is NOT the end. Not just because Jimmy got away. Nu-uh.


	8. File 8

**Beyond the Shattered Glass**

**-whimper-:** Gads. I got like...no reviews last chapter... I think everyone hates me for my political outbursts two chapters ago. Listen guys: I'm REALLY sorry if I offended ANYONE. I'm just reallll passionate when it comes to politics (and, no offense to anyone, but I despise Bush.) On another note: This chapter should prove...interesting. A lot of things are going to come together, as well as a whole NEW plot is going to be launched. After I finish this, I don't think i'll be writing on for a while. I'm planning on working on a novel I've had in mind for a bit, and think you'd like it. I may just put a chapter or two up on my fictionpress account, which is also Raining Dreams. Luff ya'll! PLEASE REVIEW... oh yes... I have a picture for you all as well, I think you'll like. So email me.

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 8**

Megan kept running, her chest feeling ready to explode, before she was met by a sharp tug on her collar. Before she knew it, she was dangling mid-air in the hand of none other than the infamous Gin. She coughed, struggling in vain.

"Put me down!!" she commanded loudly, kicking and squirming with all the might she could muster. "I can't breathe!!" she added, coughing again for effect. The man just shook his head slowly.

"No, no, no, my little fire ant. Where is Kudo?"

"He got out!! I tried to catch him and was chasing him until YOU pulled me up!" she snapped, her face slowly turning red with trapped blood. This attitude only resulted in her being thrown down, scraping her knee, elbow, and cheek against the rough concrete. She yelped, raising up and examining herself, looking up at the five men before her in horror. Vodka stepped foward, grabbing her collar from the front this time, lifting her up.

"Wrong answer, missy. If we don't find Kudo, we'll just have to play with _you_ instead." She was thrown to the ground again, receiving more cuts. She winced, getting to her feet again.

"Fine. Whatever... you better treat me nicer though: I'm the one who's going to--" she stopped midsentance at a gun barrel being placed squarely between her eyes.

"Ah, ah, ah. Mannors, kiddo. You forget who you're talking to. Now, move." Vodka pushed her around so she was facing frontwards. She felt cold metal press against the back of her head and a nudge fowards. Her eyes fell to the ground. _What have I gotten myself into...?_

**Back at the hotel...**

Ai placed a hand on Jimmy's forehead, adjusting a blanket she'd draped over his shoulders. "You're still chilled." she informed him for the millionth time as he sipped quietly at a vitamin infused drink. It didn't taste very good, in all truths. Somewhat bitter. But he drank it anyway. Ai was putting up such a fuss he knew it was best to just put up with it all. He glanced nervously at the clock.

"Rachel...she's still not here. Do you think she's okay?" he inquired softly. Ai looked at the clock with a frown.

"I hope so... it's been twenty minutes. We need to get out of here... the Organization is uncanny for tracking people down when they stay in one place for too long." she mumbled, pulling a trenchcoat and hat from the small dresser the hotel supplied, handing it to him, pulling a disguise over herself (a wig and long coat). He paused, before tugging it on reluctantly.

"Shouldn't we call her parents? Richard is a lousy detective, but he still might help... And Eri has a level head on her shoulders." Ai shook her head.

"That's a last resort. We'll have so much explaining to do if we have to tell them. After all, from what I've seen of Richard and Eri, they would go ballistic on both you and me if they found out you were Conan thanks to my drug." She adjusted the black wig on her head. "Plus," she added. " This is Rachel Moore we're talking about. Karate champ and one of the cleverest people I've ever met. She can take care of herself." This provided some comfort for the boy.

"Yeah... I guess you're right." he said quietly, raising from his position on the small sofa, draining his drink. They checked out quickly, hopping into a rented car. They sped away, taking back roads, then switching to the highway, then back roads again. Ai knew what she was doing...

**Across town...**

"OUCH!" Megan rubbed her head with a small hand. "That hurt!!" she mumbled, gingerly running her fingers over a bump Vodka had made by hitting her over the head with his gun. They'd been combing everywhere for the past half hour to no avail.

"I think you were lying to us, kid." Whiskey began. "I think Kudo tricked you into helping him."

"Bad idea, sweetie." Vodka added, bumping her again lightly. Gin was silent. One thug had went to retreive the car... where they were headed, Rachel had no clue. She just knew it couldn't be good for her. The only thought that brought her any condolence was that Jimmy was safe now.

The car pulled up minutes later, and they shoved Megan between one thug and Whiskey in the back. It wasn't pleasant at all. Not only was she squished, but the aroma of body odor and alcohol was positively nauseating. She felt somewhere near ready to pass out... If she hadn't been so frightened, she probably would have. Vodka turned on the radio, and a news reporter's voice crackled through.

"...other news, the search for Rachel Moore continues. The karate champ has been missing for five days now, and the search parties are going strong..." Vodka laughed. He knew that she had supposidly been killed. That laugh made her want to throw up far worse than any smell... Something soon caught her attention further, however. After he finished his laugh, the reporter continued. "..disgrunted Eri Moore, with her seperated husband, Richard's, arm around her, sent out this plea earlier this evening:..." Rachel's mother's voice emitted from the speakers, and Megan's eyes widened. She was crying. "Please. Whoever has my Rachel. Please let her come home. She doesn't deserve this!" her sobbing got so hard that she couldn't speak any longer. Her father's voice came out, finishing for her. "Rachel: If you can hear this, sweet heart, we love you and we _will_ find you." The child felt her heart clench, and she had to fight back tears once again. This was torture. It was at that moment that they switched the radio off.

"That always makes me smile," Vodka said with a chuckle. "Hearing parents call out to their dead children. So oblivious that their precious little brats are already long gone." Megan felt her fists tighten. "Now. Down to business. How are we going to find this Kudo kid?"

"We should call Sherry. She always knows how to find people." Whiskey offered, pulling out his cell phone, dialing in her number. Rachel looked up. That gave her some hope... They might mention she was there. Sherry could come help if that was the case!

**Back in the car...**

Ai's cell phone began to ring and vibrate, so she pulled over and answered it catiously. "Hello?"

"Sher. We have a problem. Kudo is missing."

"No!!" she said in a mock sound of concern. "What about the kid? Megan? Where is she at? He doesn't have her with him, does he?"

"No. The brat is right here... Vodka and Gin aren't happy with her. Not at all...why do you ask?"

"Just curious. Listen. Meet me somewhere. I'll grab Meggy and keep an eye on her for you guys."

"No...we have her under control. Help us find the kid, Sherry."

"Erm...where will you guys be if I need to bring him?"

"The old shoe factory."

"Mmk. I'll meet you guys there in about an hour. I'm taking a drive around the countryside right now, so it'll take me a bit to get there."

"Okay, Sherry." click.

She glanced at Jimmy, who was staring at her with an anxious look. "They have Rachel with them, but she's safe. They're heading to a shoe factory to hide out until they think up their next plan. They wont hurt her. Not for the next hour or two, anyway. After that, I don't know. We just need to get her out." Jimmy clenched his eyes shut. He had not wanted to hear that...

"Can't we just call the police?" he whimpered. For once he WANTED the cops to handle it...

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "They'll use Rachel as a hostage if we make that move too fast. We have to wait for that step. I'll have to get Gin out first. Vodka is more rational than that."

"I'm just afraid that by that time it'll be to late..." he whispered, staring out the window.

**Dun dun DUN:** Wow... this chapter was better than the last, but still really short. Um...-blink- this thing will reach it's climax next chapter, and the ending will be in the chapter after that. So 2 more chapters, guys!! I wanna reach 100 before I write that last chapter, though, so yessum. REVIEW or no endin' ;p


	9. File 9

**Beyond the Shattered Glass**

**Lalalala:** Coldplay's Clocks is an AWESOME song. I've been listening to it and Every Heart from Inuyasha for the past 12 hours. Nonstop... yeah. I mean "Confusion never stops, The closing walls and ticking clocks." What GENIUS came up with that?! Anywho...it's helpin' me write, so you all need to love it. This chapter is going to be the climax of the story. Or at least half of it. I haven't decided if I'll put it all here... I have a music festival thing today that I'm going to that'll be neat and take up my whole day. So...yes...

I REALLY love that song...

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 9**

The car skidded to a halt, and one thug actually CARRIED Megan in so she COULDN'T run away. The sickly smell of burnt rubber filled her nostrils. She remembered hearing about this. A conveyer belt blew up and the building was deemed unstable. She blinked, staring anxiously as they walked in the heavy steel doors. She'd have one hell of a time trying to kick those out if she needed to escape.

They walked around the concrete floor, stuffing various things in various closets. They sat Megan down, tying her to a chair. Gin came up, taking her by the chin.

"Don't worry sweetums. As soon as we find Kudo, this will all be over for you. Who knows. Maybe I'll go easy on you." Megan opened her mouth to inquire what that was about, but had a gag promptly put into her mouth instead.

**Somewhere in suburban Denver...**

Sherry sped down the empty late night streets...she looked worried, and that wasn't providing any comfort for Jimmy. He fiddled with his fingers nervously, staring at each passing house. He desperately wanted to hold Rachel, the full sized one, in his arms. The way he had the last night they'd seen each other; the night they almost died clinging to one another in a closet. He didn't know why, he just felt like it would somehow make him feel better.

He could only imagine how terrified she was. That's when something full of irony hit him in the head. Rachel had been his tormenter for the past few days, and he'd wished the worst upon her. Yet now, he was worried sick that she was hurt somewhere, in pain, maybe even... no. He couldn't think about that. Rachel was fine. She was going to be just fine, and he was going to tell her he loved her and never let her from his sight again. Yes. He gave a slight nod to himself, confirming this.

Sherry looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. In all truths, she almost wished the worst on Rachel. Deep down, she knew she had feelings for the boy sitting next to her. But she knew she could also never have him, and that he and Rachel were made for one another. She heaved a quiet sigh, her foot pressing slightly harder on the gas. This broke Jimmy from his thoughts, gazing over at her with those big, unusually blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" he inquired. She smiled softly.

"Nothing, Jimmy. Don't worry about it, okay? Think about what you'll say to Rachel when she comes out..."

He blinked, slightly confused at her response. He shrugged it off, however. He was too numb at the moment to worry about solving any mysteries for the moment. Although she had brought up something new for him to think about. What WAS he going to say to Rachel? The same questions from when he had began to tell Rachel about his being Conan flew through his head. Would he get mad? Would he cry? Would he stay calm? He didn't know, but it was definitely something to think about. After a while longer, Sherry handed him her cell.

"I can't get in touch with the boys. Call the cops, tell them the old, blown out shoe factory on Surrie."

He nodded, doing as he was told... he hoped Sherry knew what she was doing...

**Back at the factory...**

An hour passed...then two...then three. Whiskey left occasionally, and the thugs were on the phone. Finally, everyone's attention turned to Rachel. Vodka walked up, undoing her from the chair, picking her up by her throat, shaking her for a moment, before throwing her against the nearest wall.

"Bad, bad move, kid. You're playing with the big boys, and you lost our new toy. We aren't very happy." he snapped as she struggled to get to her feet. He walked over, giving her a swift kick to the stomach. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she yelped loudly in pain. Gin walked over, placing a hand on his partner's shoulder.

"Cool it... Whiskey. Knock the kid out with that chloroform over there and... I dunno...throw her in the closet. I don't want to attract attention by killing the brat. No one is here to miss her if we just leave her here. It'll be slow and painful for her." He added the last bit as he watched Vodka eye her like a hungry wolf eyes a helpless lamb. "Plus. If the cops show, we can use the brat as a hostage or something..."

One thug knocked her out, although it was hardly necessary. Rachel was so dazed from being beaten that she couldn't comprehend what was going on. She was tossed into a closet, the door being slammed behind her.

About ten minutes later, sirens and skids of cars halting echoed outside. Momentarily, a strong voice, amplified by a loudspeaker, called "COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

Vodka swore profusely along with Whiskey, while Gin stayed calmly at the table. The thugs looked to one another dumbly... After a moment, he stood, slamming a bottle of wine onto the floor.

"Light it." he commanded, starting out of the room.

"Light it?!" Whiskey asked in horror.

"Light it." he confirmed, tossing him a box of matches. "It will create a distraction. They have us surrounded, and it's out only shot out. One thug made his way towards the closet, but Vodka held up a hand with a smirk, following after Gin.

"Leave the kid." he ordered, signaling for them to follow. One shrugged, throwing a lit match onto the spilled alcohol, dashing off after everyone else.

The skid of yet another car came from outside as Sherry and Jimmy arrived, both leaping from the car just in time to hear a loud "FWOOSH" and watch a window be blown out with a large flame. Several officers gasped, before calling (needlessly) "They've set the place on fire!"

Jimmy watched the flames begin to consume the old building, listening as the fire department's sirens sounded roughly a mile away...

Inside, however, things weren't so calm. So numb. Megan's eyes flitted open and she looked blearily around. It was dark. She hurt. "Can't...think..." she murmured to herself, coughing lightly, trembling and attempting in vain to stand. She reached a shaky hand to the doorknob, finding it surprisingly hot. She figured it was the after effects of the chloroform, though, and opened it slightly. She was met by a whole mess of black, billowing smoke and flames licking eagerly at her door, as if intent on reaching her small body inside. She let out an involuntary shriek, slamming the door back, pulling her knees to her chest, burying her face there, and covering her ears and sides of her neck with her hands. _Hot...fire.._ was all she could think. She shivered uncontrollably with fright. _Why isn't anyone helping me?!_ she thought after a minute or two. _Where...oh...they...they don't know I'm here. I'm going to die and they'll never know I was here..._ it all seemed so clear now. She didn't notice it, but tears collected behind her shut eyes, leaking out gingerly, plopping into her lap.

Outside, the scream was heard, and the officers and firemen broke out into a flurry of activity again.

"Someone's inside!"

"A hostage?"

"Sounded like a girl."

"A kid, maybe?"

"They didn't have a kid though, did they?"

Jimmy knew perfectly well who the scream had come from though, and his eyes got huge. "R..Rachel!" he whispered, staring up at the blown out window, the smoke billowing out in thick clouds now, like some sinister firework. Sherry looked at him.

"Jimmy, don't do anything stupid!" she hissed, but she was too late. He ran up, standing beneith the firehouse, getting drenched and running inside before anyone could do anything. He didn't know what had happened to him. He hadn't even thought about it, he had just went into a blazing, unstable building. He coughed instantly, his eyes burning at the smoke and heat.

"RACHEL! RACHEL, WHERE ARE YOU!?" he called. He rushed through the flames, running about, dodging the fire. He ran up some stairs, looking around. "RACHEL!"

His voice echoed, causing her to break out into hard, loud sobs. She knew it was her imagination. Moments later, the smoke got to her, and she passed out again. Flames slowly began to eat at the door, coming dangerously close to the child's hand...

He had heard her, but couldn't be sure where she was... he called out to her several more times, but he was totally lost. "RACHEL!" he called desperately, tears rimming his eyes. He closed his eyes, thinking. When he re opened them, he noticed one, small closet, currently being engulfed in flame. He didn't know why, but he ran to it, and sure enough, there she was. He gasped lightly, seeing her limp, small frame, scooping her into his arms, holding her firmly against his chest. How could he have not seen it? She had sweated and the fire had singed off the fake freckles, and the soot had made her hair appear dark as it usually was. There was no question: That WAS Rachel. He nervously felt her pulse and breathing. Alive, but barely. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, pressing it over her face to minimize smoke inhalation, before running downstairs.

Outside, everyone was getting anxious. He'd been inside for nearly ten minutes. But then, out of what resembled Hell, Jimmy came out with the frame of a small, lightly burnt little girl. He pulled in a breath of fresh night air gratefully, somewhat reluctantly handing Megan to an EMS worker, who carted her off to a waiting ambulance. They ushered him in, and he barely had time to notice Sherry talking to a frantic Eri and Richard Moore, who looked somewhat relieved at seeing Jimmy and Megan being piled into an ambulance. As he was leaving with the girl, he could see them pile into the car to follow. They laid the child and Jimmy on two gurnies, injecting them with IVs and treating their burns with ointments that were handy. He looked at the girl from the corner of his eye, and with a smile, reached over and held her hand... _It's okay, Rache. Everything is okay now..._

ooc: YAY!! Bwaha. There's only one chapter left, so review your little heads off...but...yes... I have another new song besides Clocks, too. Two, actually. Every Heart from Inuyasha, but more importantly: Imperfection by Skillet. GOD THAT SONG ROCKS MY SOCKS!! Everyone send all sorts of slobbery kisses in thier reviews to my FCA leader, Danni, for being nice and burning me a copy of her Skillet CD XD I LURVE YEW DANNIIIIIIII!!!! ((P.S. Yes. I be in FCA. DEAL WITH IT.))


	10. File 10

**Beyond the Shattered Glass**

**For what's right, for what's right, for what's right: **Yep. I have yet ANOTHER new song. Hero by Superchick. That song kicks butt. Anywho. I'ma write. Thank Nikoru (Author of Photographic Memories, which kicks the SNOT out of my fics) for writing her latest chapter, which gave me the oomf to write this. Also love Elisha and Allison, my bestest friends in the whole big wide world, 'cause they encouraged me and stuff...

**WARNING: BEYOND FLUFFY CHAPTER!!!**

**Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 10**

_Megan's head swam, and every inch hurt. It was dark, too. Very, very dark, but there was a pinprick of light at the end of a long tunnel. She rubbed her head, looking around. She was back to her normal body, and in a simple, white cotton dress...like a nightgown. She blinked blearily, confused and dazed. "What happened?" she murmured to herself, looking around._

_"You died." said a loud voice, and from the darkness, a boy emerged. He had sandy hair, silvery eyes, and the face of an angel_

_"Where...what...?"_

_"You died," he repeated, kicking back, hanging there as if suspended by invisible thread. " You were in a fire, Rachel Kudo." He yawned, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're at the crossroads right now."_

_"Kudo? My last name is Moore." she corrected._

_"Ah. But you wish it was Kudo, do you not?" he said quietly, raising a brow. She blushed furiously, folding her arms tightly over her chest._

_"Who are you?"_

_"The angel of Death," he said quietly. With a quiet wave of his hand, he produced a live stream. Rachel gasped lightly. Jimmy..he was in an ambulance!!! And next to him...he was holding the hand of a little girl. The doctors were rushing around, trying to revive her. The astral Rachel leaned in for a closer look, and realized that the little girl was her. It was true. She was dead. She whimpered quietly. It's a very curious thing, finding yourself dead. It's very surreal and numbing. Rachel didn't know what to do, but then something wrenched her very heart. Jimmy was crying. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and every so often, he'd open his eyes to glance at the little girl next to him. _

_"Jimmy," she whispered quietly, tears rimming her spiritual eyes. He raised a brow._

_"Now, Miss Moore, if I'm not mistaken, YOU do not have an aura. You need an aura to go to heaven or hell." She glanced down at herself, noticing small blue sparks dancing off of her, before nodding dumbly. "Do you wish to go back?" _

_"More than anything!" she cried. "I want to...to see dad and mom! And Jimmy! I want to tell Jimmy that I love him!" The angel stared quietly for a moment, before waving his hand serenely._

_"I'll let you off the hook. This time." he said with a smile and a wink..._

"CLEAR!" yelled a doctor, before giving her a sharp electric shock to the chest. The child's small body jumped into the air, her heart kicking back into life. They promptly put a breathing mask over her face, watching each shaky breath the girl took. Jimmy let out a sob of relief, squeezing her hand gently.

Jimmy was in the hospital for two days, Megan for a week and a half, before she was allowed home on a strict bed rest order and on a oxygen pump. She was still out of it for about a week, awake for ten minutes of the day, tops, and had a feeding tube. It was sad, but soon, she was taken off of that, awake for nearly 4 hours and eating on her own. They put her back into her real body soon enough.

It was a nippy day in early November when Rachel awoke, batting her blue eyes, squinting against the light. She yawned loudly, stretching lightly. It was lovely to have that stupid tube out of her nose. She was GLAD she could breath alright on her own. Jimmy, who had been at her bedside for the past twelve hours, jumped awake at her motion. He blinked, staring at her for a moment. She smiled softly. That smile that seemed to etch itself deep into his very soul, warming him from every nerve. And...she looked so angelic. Her dark locks were splayed around her face gently, shining in the sunlight pouring in through a window. He smiled back, his own blue optics scanning over her for a moment.

"Morning, sleepyhead." he commented with a slight, sleepy grin. Something that sounded like a weak giggle came from Rachel's throat, and she continued smile right back. He looked at her for another moment, before his gaze softened. _It's now or never... Last shot at love, Jimmy Kudo. You may never see her again..._ He stood up, gulping and facing the window, gathering all the courage he could find.

"Rachel. I have something for you. I should have given it to you a long time ago, and I meant to give it to you when I saw you again that morning at the park." This sparked her interest, and she propped herself up a bit further.

"What is it?" she asked softly, a playful smile on her lips. He heaved a huge sigh. God was he nervous. He turned to face her, leaning towards her slightly, meeting his eyes with hers.

"This." he whispered, before pressing his lips firmly against hers. Rachel's eyes got wide, her heart pounding. What was happening!? Was that JIMMY?! What should she do? Was she supposed to slap him? No... she liked it. Was she supposed to wrap her arms around him?! She spent so much time worrying about what to do, that he pulled away, splashes of red staining his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Rache. Dunno what came over me and--" Rachel sat up fully, placing one finger on his lips gently with a smile.

"Shh." she whispered back, as if she was about to tell him a secret, before wrapping her bandaged arms around his neck, kissing him. It was his turn to be stunned, but he regained composure faster than Rachel had, and proceeded to wrap HIS arms around Rachel. They stayed like that for a good twenty seconds, before breaking their kiss, staring deeply at each other, saying everything silently. Rachel's eyes fluttered, and she sunk back onto her pillows with a soft smile.

Jimmy first sat on the bed, before carefully stretching out beside her, pulling her into a protective, loving embrace. And that's how they fell asleep. Wrapped safely in the other's arms.

Richard and Eri walked down the hall to check on their daughter, and Richard's mouth flew open at what he saw, but Eri's hand was faster than his voice.

"Richard. She isn't little anymore. And quite frankly, can you think of anyone better for her?!" she hissed.

"But...!" he whispered after she removed her hand.

"Doesn't it sound awfully familiar? A bright young martial arts star meets a budding detective?"

Richard blushed profusely, looking to his feet, before noticing the ring on Eri's hand. "You're still wearing our wedding ring, Eri." he said softly.

"I know." she replied. "I never stopped loving you, Richard."

"I never stopped loving you either, Eri." With that, he pulled her into his arms, kissing her. She kissed back...

**Six years later...**

A man gingerly opened the door to a small house, creeping in. On the couch facing the door, layed a young woman. She'd clearly fallen asleep waiting for someone. Dark, chocolate brown locks lay splayed around her face, and on the mantle there were two Olympic medals along with various certificates, plaques, and trophies. He smiled, placing a duffel bag down quietly, walking over and carefully picking her up. Her stunningly blue eyes flittered open, and she smiled a soft smile at him.

"You're late." she murmured, burying her face into his chest.

"What can I say." he said, just as softly. "If I came home on time every night, you'd have nothing to look foward to after ten." She just laughed lightly. On the floor below lay two children, obviously twins. One little girl with dark hair, fair features, and a sweet face. Next to her lay a little boy with messy hair and scrapes all over him.

"How're Conan and Megan?" the man asked quietly.

"Peachy. Conan solved the mystery of a stolen grade book at school today, and Megan is going to be in a tournament next Saturday." you could SEE the man puff out with pride.

"Excellent." he murmured, placing his head on top of hers. "Excellent." he repeated again softly. He paused abruptly. "There's one thing I'll have to ask Conan about in the morning. Wake me before he leaves for school."

"Hmm?"

"Woman. The one mystery I could never solve." he said with a smirk.

The woman smiled quietly. "That's one thing, no matter how many times it's explained, you will never understand, Jimmy Kudo."

**FAREWELL: **I hope you all LOVEEEEDDDD it. I added that last bit in as a sort of extra, on account of you all gave me over 100 reviews on this one! YAY!! Now, while I will NOT be making a sequel to this ( maybe a oneshot of the wedding, but noooo sequels), I AM thinking of a prequel. No direct connections to Last Shot at Love, but It would have some foreshadowing in it for this series. The only hint you get? The title is probably going to be Memories of Days Gone Past. No promises though. I am also thinking of writing an Inuyasha fic which would be called Never and Forever, and replacing my current Past Hogwarts fic, Never Say Never, with a better fic. Luff ya'll! Review, send slobbery kisses via email or AIM to me...oh! And I still have that picture, folks. I worked fairly hard on it, and it is in semi-realism. ASK ABOUT IT!!! Mmk.

Thank you all very, very much for giving me the confidence to write this in reviewing. I love ALL my reviewers now, and you've all helped me really grow as a writer. I truly mean thanks, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you all SO much.

LUFF YEW ALLLLLL!

-Bunny


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